As a former owner of a 97’ Cobra, I have to say I like the new look of the Mustang. I sold mine after two years, because, as Sam has noted, driving one in the Canadian winter is just suicide stupid. My WRX is far more appropriate and almost as fast (butt ugly, though). I really miss the sound that 4.6L made when I was in third gear and had the peddle all the way to the floor…Sweeeet!
Ah, well, with some modifications I can get the same 300+HP out of my Rex and still have fun in the winter.
My husband, the Mustangophile, finds them tempting, but I think he’s going to stick with his '73 convertible.
I don’t find them tempting, but I am simply not a car person.
OK. As the first responder, I think I’ll go one further and say that TO ME, they remind ME of the awesomest car ever, the Aston Martin.
Yeah, well, don’t get alll hot and bothered over the concept car.
I LOVED the '05 concept car. I have a picture of it on my fridge, and was planning on buying one of the Mustangs when they finally came out.
Then I actually sat in one of the production models, and it was a complete let-down. It was completely watered down and the interior is butt ugly.
The first thing I thought was “Hey, they put a VW Bug on The Rack and stretched it!”
ICK.
That’s exactly what I thought when I saw the pics, the front grill is pretty much identical to the V8 Vantage. The arches look like they’re from an Audi TT, the roof from a 350Z, the rear looks pretty original, even if it is absolutly dire. Looks very bland.
Yeah, well the V-8 Vantage looks like a Datsun 240-Z.
Man, I miss my 240Z. In Canada, you can watch them rust while you’re driving. There are almost none left.
Unfortunately, I have to agree with you. What is kind of interesting is my initial reaction to the TV commercial they have out with the US national anthem being played by engine sounds. Stupid commercial. But at the beginning, the mustang logo rears up for a moment at about the same time the car is introduced. My first thought was that Lamborghini is putting out a cut price, mass-market sports car. Even the red of the Mustang in the commercial looked like a Lamborghini.
The exterior of the car is not bad, but definitely not particularly exciting. My major beef with American cars is their interior styling. I always feel vaguely like I’m driving a tractor in an American car.
cj
As to the interiors of sports cars. They are designed to be functional, that’s it.
Check out the interior of a race car sometime.
You want pomp and circumstance?
Buy a luxury car.
From a performance standpoint the 4.6L single and dual overhead cam engines have been a success. The new SOHC engine in the 2005 has a variable 3 valve head that gives 70 more horse than the older designed head. If you get the Cobra DOHC engine it will sustain 1000 hp easy with a turbo kit. Would be nice if they came standard with a (good) 6 speed but you can’t have everything for $25,000.
I have a love/hate relationship with the new style. I like the retro front end but it doesn’t lend itself well to smooth curves (which it doesn’t have). If they had rounded the basic lines of car it would have taken on an “Aston Martin” look. But then, Ford would be competing with itself and under-cuttting an $80,000 car.
You can get more than that out of a WRX. It’s quite the wildcat with a little work. I also don’t understand the styling decisions behind it.
I was going the same route with a 4 cyl Turbo Coupe until I drove a turbocharged 5.0L. Decided it was better to have 500 hp at 12 lbs and not worry about head gaskets.
And I also like the sound of 3rd gear in a V8. Can’t imagine trying to drive one in Canada ( a country I would describe as 2 weeks of bad skiing).
I disagree with the OP, the new Mustang is reason enough to buy sports cars again. For a while there, (mid 80’s to early 90’s) cars, especially sports cars looked like total crap. The upside down bathtub style of the 94+ mustangs made them just wretched, I pined for the lost body lines and real muscle. 5.0 indeed.
This thing though, is just sweet. It will be my next toy, hell, may even wait for the GT with the 400HP engine.
However.
If THIS Bad Ass gets to the dealer before I’m ready to buy, IT will be my next toy.